


Family Affair

by FleetSparrow



Category: Batman (Comics)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-13
Updated: 2018-12-13
Packaged: 2019-09-17 11:10:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 910
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16973517
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FleetSparrow/pseuds/FleetSparrow
Summary: Somewhere along the line, things have changed in Bruce's life, in his relationship with Dick and Damian.





	Family Affair

**Author's Note:**

> Another old fic from 2014 that I'm pretty sure I haven't posted elsewhere.

Things had changed, somewhere.  Bruce’s relationship with Dick could be considered the first.  Partners seemed to change in meaning from “work” to “life,” but navigating a romance after all of their history was strange and new for both of them.  Still, somewhere along the line, when Damian asked something of Bruce, Bruce’s answer had changed from, “Go ask your brother,” to “Go ask Dick.”  It shouldn’t have seemed like that large of a change– and, indeed, it wasn’t, really– but the change from title to first name came along with a few other changes Bruce wasn’t entirely sure how to handle.

There had been so much to do after his return, so much damage to undo, and so many battles to fight, that they hadn’t had a chance to even try to be a normal family, for whatever value of normal they could manage.  Finally, after several months of near-constant battles, they were level again.

That was when the changes really became noticeable.

Damian had begun using Bruce’s returned status as a means to avoid certain commands Dick gave him, usually regarding domestic issues.  "I don’t have to obey you, Grayson,“ he would say.  "Father is back, and that means that you have no more authority over me.”  It didn’t usually help, since whatever Dick wanted Damian to do was probably something Bruce wanted him to do as well, but the rebellion was there.  Bruce didn’t think much of it, until the tables were turned against him. 

* * *

 

Dick and Damian returned from patrol both soaking wet.  They didn’t say anything as they made their way through the Cave, just spoke softly to each other, as if hoping Bruce wouldn’t hear them.  He could, not enough to make out what they were saying, but enough that the echo of their whisper-murmurings distracted him from his report.  The combination of their speech and the constant slosh-thump of their wet boots set him on edge, until finally he couldn’t stand it anymore.

“Nightwing.  Robin,” he said, turning sharply.  "Get to the lockers before you–“  He broke off at the sight of his youngest son huddled over something.  "Where’s your hood, Damian?”

Dick squeezed Damian’s shoulder for a brief moment and smiled at Bruce, stepping in front of Damian as if Bruce wouldn’t notice the move.  "It’s soaked!  You should’ve seen it out there, it was raining cats and–“

"What are you hiding, Damian?” Bruce interrupted, sparing only the quickest of glares for Dick.  "Show me.“

Damian let out a small grunt and moved around Dick.  He pulled back the top of the bundled hood in his arms, and a small furry head appeared.  The little black kitten let out a quiet mewl before trying to bury itself once again in the cloth.

"She’s cold and hungry, Father,” Damian said, holding the kitten close.

“She would have found food, Damian,” Bruce said, sighing.  "Well, you can dry her off.  I’ll tell Selina to come pick her up tomorr–“

"No!  She’s mine, I already named her!” Damian shouted, clutching the little cat closer.  "Her name is Desdemona and Grayson already said I could keep her!“

Bruce raised an eyebrow.  "Did he, now?”  Dick merely looked away, finding something in the far back of the Cave extremely interesting to watch.

Damian nodded fiercely.  "He did, he was my Batman first, so therefore, she’s mine.“  He straightened, turned on his heel, and stalked to the lockers, shouting for Alfred to come help Desdemona dry off.

Dick stayed where he was, shifting his weight from side to side.  When doing nothing started getting uncomfortable, he pulled off his gloves, busying himself so he wouldn’t have to look at Bruce.

Bruce watched him for a few minutes, letting Dick squirm until Bruce was sure Damian wouldn’t be back to interrupt them.  Finally, he let out an audible sigh, and Dick looked up.  "You’re undermining my authority, you know,” he said, a hint of a smile at the corner of his lips.

“No, I’m not,” Dick said, shaking his head.  "Think of it as… improving your goodwill status.“  He peeled off his mask and grinned as he walked over to where Bruce was seated.  "Besides, it’s only the one kitten.”

“And the dog, and the cow,” Bruce countered.  He shot Dick a stern look, even as he let the younger man climb into his lap.  Dick was still dripping, but Bruce tried to ignore it, instead picking up his hands to warm them.  "You’re cold.“

"It's  _really_  coming down out there.”

“Hm.”  Bruce rubbed Dick’s hands between his own, letting the warmth of his slowly heat Dick’s.  "He said you were his Batman.“

Dick hummed.  "Well, I kind of was.  But that doesn’t mean he doesn’t like working with you.”

“I know,” Bruce said quietly, although his tone didn’t sound confident, even to him.  "But he seems to see you as an authority figure.  Not just in costume.“

Dick chuckled and kissed Bruce’s forehead.  "He’s not going to be giving me your Father’s Day card, trust me.  No worries there, old man.”

Bruce grunted and let go of Dick’s hands, gently pushing him off the chair.  "Go change before you catch pneumonia.“

* * *

Three months later, as they all sat down to dinner on Father’s Day, Damian stood up and handed cards to Bruce and Dick.  One envelope read, "To My Father” and the other, “To My Grayson.”  Dick bit his cheek till it was sore to keep himself from laughing.


End file.
